GORDON Brown will today urge Britons to "honour" the Union Jack and not let it be hijacked by racists and extremists.

In his latest speech on Britishness, he will tell the Fabian Society, a left-wing think-tank, that Britons are still fond of the monarchy, Army and NHS.

He will call for US-style flag-waving fervour in the hope it fosters national pride, helps rebuild society and boosts ethnic integration. He will say: "What is our Independence Day? What is our equivalent of a flag in every garden?"

The Chancellor will add that the BNP has made the union flag a symbol of division when it ought to be a "symbol of unity".